Basement Dehumidifiers Problems
Basements are notorious for having mold and bacteria caused by humidity. A basement dehumidifier will eliminate water vapor in the area and control the growth of these potentially hazardous conditions. The conditions of the basement as well as the temperature can cause problems with humidifiers, but they can be fixed. Does this Spark an idea?
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Function
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A dehumidifierhas many of the same components as an air conditioner, but with a few extras. The humid air is sucked into the machine, where it passes through coils that are ice cold and the water vapor condenses onto the coils. The water droplets are deposited in a basin that slowly fills. The dehumidified air is then either shot back out into the air or passed by heated coils to warm it before being sent back out into the air.
Full Water Basin
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A humidifier will run as long as long as there is room in the water basin. Once it has reached a certain level, the dehumidifier will shut off and not run again until the basin is emptied. The basin is easy to forget about as it may take several days to fill, especially if there isn't a significant amount of moisture in the air. The remedy is to regularly empty the bucket to guarantee uninterrupted service.
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Frozen Coils
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When the temperature of the basement goes below 65 degrees, it can cause the coils to freeze or get too cold. Instead of condensating and dropping onto the basin, the water vapor will actually freeze onto the coils, creating ice. You must turn the unit off and allow the ice to melt and hope it doesn't happen again or adjust the temperature of the basement so that it doesn't get too cold.
Air Filter
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In order to keep particulates from passing over the coils, the dehumidifier has an air filter that eliminates the dust and allows only the water vapor to pass through. If you notice the unit is running but there isn't any water in the basin, then the dust and particulates may be clogging up the filter and impeding the water vapor. You should remove the filter and either replace or clean it.
Water Basin Fills Quickly
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If the water basin fills several times per day, then there is an excessive amount of moisture in the room. This is often caused by an unknown external source, such as a broken or leaking water pipe. In order to solve the problem of a fast-filling basin, you need to find and fix the problem that is causing the extra moisture.
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References
- Photo Credit building a basement 2 image by Kostyantyn Ivanyshen from Fotolia.com
